CASTLE: A Tribute to Stana Katic and Kate Beckett

The news of Stana Katic’s dismissal hit the CASTLE fandom hard this week. It is no secret to anyone that the show has been struggling for the past couple of years — more so after creator Andrew Marlowe left his post as showrunner. So we knew things weren’t doing great lately. Most fans doubted that there was even going to be a season 9 after such a rocky season 8, but we never, ever, expected this to happen.

When Deadline first broke the news, the fandom immediately rebelled against it. Tamala Jones was going to be let go along with Katic – while all the male actors stayed – which seemingly reinforces a pro-male/anti-female mentality. We don’t even know if there is, in fact, going to be a season 9, but ABC has made a bad decision with these “firings”. After all, there is no show without Kate Beckett, as evidenced by the ratings this past season.

In the midst of our shock and anger over this entire situation, I got a couple of writers, who are also CASTLE fans and reviewers and we came to the conclusion that Stana Katic deserved so much better than this. So these are our thoughts over this unfortunate, heartbreaking news:

Luciana Mangas: I hadn’t been watching CASTLE in a while. Ever since the show changed showrunners and started going in a different direction (with that that Castle-as-a-PI storyline), I started to lose interest until, eventually, I stopped watching altogether. However, every time there was a rerun from earlier seasons, I would stop what I was doing and catch up on an episode, because that was where the magic was — Castle and Beckett verbally sparring and Beckett being her usual kickass self.

The main reason that I was drawn to CASTLE in the first place was that they had such an amazing female lead character. Katherine Beckett was this larger-than-life force of nature, exceptionally good at her job, respected by her fellow officers and peers, but she was also human. She had flaws; she had a hard time dealing with her emotions and sometimes that got her into some serious trouble; she was tenacious and loving and caring and she was such an amazing role model for women across the world.

I think that’s why the news of Stana Katic being let go hit me so hard. Because, even though I wasn’t really watching the show as consistently as I once had, I knew Kate Beckett was still there and there was always hope that some day they would fix the mess they had made of the past couple of seasons. But now she’s not going to be there anymore, no matter what they do. I don’t know how they are going to write her off, but whatever they do it will never do this fantastic character justice, because it will always be overshadowed by the way her dismissal was handled.

Budget cuts? Really? It is old news that female actors make a lot less than males, so this makes absolutely no sense at all. To simply dismiss a performer that was the shining star of the show and (in my opinion) a big reason the majority of the fans stuck around until now is just beyond preposterous.

Of course we don’t know the particulars of whatever happened behind-the-scenes, but no matter what, Stana Katic deserved better than this. Even though the show is called CASTLE, it was her character, Kate Beckett, that drove the show for the better part of these past eight seasons. Sure, we had supporting characters that did their part, but it was Beckett who pushed the show forward; it was the mystery of her mother’s murder that drove the show for several seasons and – most importantly – it was her character that was handled in a respectful and humane manner.

Richard Castle did his part as the narrator of the story. It was mostly his point of view that we were treated to, but it didn’t matter because he was always watching her. After all, the show started with him shadowing her for a new series of books, and he did fall in love with her in the process, so it was only natural that his entire focus would be on her. No matter what, Kate Beckett was the driving force of this show, with Stana Katic basically carrying seven seasons on her shoulders.

It seems like a lot saying that she carried the show, but it’s absolutely true and she did it on talent alone. Episodes like “Knockdown”, “Knockout”, “Veritas”, and “Kill Shot” – just to mention a few – were among some of her very best work and it is such a shame that she never got an Emmy nod for her performance. Katic dedicated so much to this show, influenced so many young lives with her performance as a kickass detective, that it is truly disheartening to see what is being done to her now, after all these years of hard work.

I can speak for myself when I say that she had a major impact on my life. It was because of her performance as Detective Beckett that I started writing again, that I met so many great people and had some great opportunities, so I will forever be grateful to her for that.

So, Stana, for all your hard work, your fantastic performance, your dedication to the show and the fans and for changing my life, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. You can rest assured that wherever you go, we will follow. Anywhere.

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Thank you,thank you for an amazing article,so beautifully written and so so true.You hit the nail on the head.
Stana Katic deserves so much better then the sad dismissal she got.After all her awesome work as Kate Beckett,giving this caracter life and soul,and making us love her dearly flors an all.So thank you again for this great article,Stana deserve every word.
You put into word what we all want to tell her…????????????????

lizrogn

What an awesome article. This character has meant so much to me. And like you I began to realize it was Stana, not Beckett who gave my life a deeper meaning. How to enjoy life and be a part of it rather than just watch it pass you by from a distance. If KB dies, my heart will break again, I’d rather see her go off on a cross country bike trip alone. Either way, Castle revived his career because of Beckett, so without her he’s just another writer with no inspiration. Pull the plug ABC and let the wounds heal.

Anu

Thank you for this! It said pretty mutch all that I’m feeling right now!

POI fan

Great article. Stana deserves much better. Wherever she goes now I will follow her career. Always.

Christina

Wonderful write up! You captured why we love and relate to Kate Beckett and the magic added by Stana Katic. This is the kind of send off the series, character, and invested fans deserve.

mutha_nite

Thank gawd for the Cloud, streaming video, and DVD’s with commentaries. All of the critics who wrote here pretty much nailed it. Re-watch, anyone?

Thank you for making me smile when all I want to do is cry. I’m a writer and, as for all of you, Kate Beckett is a character I can only dream about ever being able to create. Both the character and Stana have inspired me to write strong women who strive to overcome both their flaws and the situations life throws at them. And I will always be grateful to Stana, Andrew Marlowe, Terri Edda Miller and their talented team of writers for the vision they brought to our screens. The love story – and let’s be honest everyone, that’s the basis of the whole show – has also taught me that romance can be written in a way that enhances the development of both characters. I have deluded myself that this season has been on par with the rest but it hasn’t been. Not by a long shot. I will definitely not be tuning in if there is a season 9. Not sure I can even bring myself to watch the rest of 8. If they kill Beckett off in the finale in my mind the true ending will always be with Hollander’s Woods. In hindsight it should have been. Kate Beckett will always be my favourite TV character. Always.

marywolford2@yahoo.com

Thanks for voicing what many of us feel…I hope Stana reads what you’ve so beautifully articulated. ABC has made a huge mistake with this hit show, and done a huge injustice to the fans, the Castle cast & crew and especially to Stana, Tamala, and last year to Penny. Of the 4 shows I sporadically watch on TV, Castle was the only one I never missed. I can’t imagine watching a Season 9 without Stana, so I guess ABC has lost me since I don’t watch any other ABC shows. But I guess they don’t care since I’m over 49…Can anyone explain to me why the networks don’t care about the older demographic? I have time and money to spend on their advertisers…now I guess I’ll just go walk with my dogs or read because I’m not some couch potato who is desperate for another show to watch-if it’s not really good, I won’t waste my time.

Tracy Marshall

Thank you. Lovely tribute not only to the character, but the actress that brought life and light to her. I’m like you, ABC premise for Castle included both lead characters. What makes them think a revamp is going to work is beyond me. I have decided that Season 7 finale is it for me. It will be a long time before I watch any more episodes. The way they treated not only Katic and Jones, but also Penny Jerald, shows no respect for leading women. I hope all the backlash will just lead ABC to the right conclusion and cancel the show.

Tracy Marshall

So true.

JAN

This article is so amazing – really captured my feelings on Stana and her character, Kate Beckett. Thank you!! I’ve been so frustrated since the news came out and this really helped. Great to see support for Stana and the respect she deserves.

Jim45

Nobody has ever done rom-com as well as Fillion and Katic – lighting in a bottle. They defined the show and themselves as a place to see it done like Bogart and Hepburn did in “The African Queen” and then see it the next Monday, too. Yeah #CastleGreatestRomCom says it all.

Nakia Summan

You described each and every dedicated Castle fan’s thoughts. Thank you so very much this is exactly what I’ve been saying. Stana Katic is amazing and so is Kate Beckett. For Stana to be disrespected like this is disgusting and frankly abc has lost a lot even if Castle isn’t renewed. Part of me hopes they aren’t renewed but part of me hopes they are just so they can watch their ratings and views plummet. Karma is a bitch. Humans shouldn’t disrespect other humans like that. Regardless i hope Stana’s epic career is far from over and Kate Beckett is another one of those great works among many more.

cinm54

I wiil admit, I starting watching the show as a fan of Natha Fillion. However after the first season I was more of a fan of Stana. She was the ultimate female, intelligent, gorgeous but not conceited. She had inner strenghth and a fighting spirit. That was the character, not the person. Stana always apeared genuine in every interiew. She answered the questions posed to her directly, never needing to turn it into a joke or a funny story about herself. She loved her family intensely, and never forgot where she came from or how she got there. She told the fans just enough about her personal life to keep us interested, but not intrusive. She kept her romance private and her wedding intimate and secret, until she wanted to let us into it. Her instagram pictures are almost always meaningful, or her saying’s that made you think. If she was into the Hollywood nightlife or parties, I never heard anything, nor have I seen pictures of her in tabloids like so many of Hollywood’s actresses are today.Instead she travels the world, and through her pictures, I get to see it too. Stana has enough talent to show us more of her varied acting abilities. I have a feeling she will be getting more offers but long after the camera’s stop roling Stana will be remembered for her loving, caring and genuine personality. Stana was treated horriby by ABC, so were we the fans, we deserved to see the happy ending of Caskett, we watched faithfuly for 8 long years and watched the writers destroy not only Beckett, but Caskett. It’s a shame there will always be an asterisk next to the title. Good luck Stana, I will be always be your fan and will follow your career. So will my husband, because of your hotness. Always.

Juanita Spears

I don’t know if anyone saw Stana in The Librarian Curse of the Silver Chalis – which she made
before Castle even came along. I noticed her then and thought “here’s a lady with a lot of talent”

Laurel Smith

Thank you for this article! You all defiantly hit the nail perfectly on this one. There is not a show without Katic involved. She is the main character, and she is the only reason, I watch Castle. Without her, I will no longer watch. Then again…ABC doesn’t do as well as CBS in my opinion.

nonyabizzz

Good article. I found Castle because of Fillion. Firefly. But it was the energy the two had together that made me stay. I also had dropped off in recent years, mostly because it was more fun when they were sparring than they were as a couple. I had heard that it had really suffered, but didn’t know why. But taking her out is more than half the show. It’s done.

Ayna B. G.

Amazing article! I agree with basically everything you guys wrote.

Chris Maes

Sexiest woman on the planet 🙂

phealy1

EXPERTLY WRITTEN. I HAVE WATCHED STANA FOR MANY YEARS AND SHE WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN. I LOOK FORWARD TO HER MOVIES. STANA IS ON A NEW ADVENTURE, SO NOW WE CAN JUST WAIT.

Tom Smith

This article is amazing, tank you for this article. I am very inspired by the character of Kate Becket. She lets you know that it’s ok to have flaws. I know I have plenty of them. Putting this article together is a great tribute to Kate and to Stana who is a beautiful and very lovely actress that I hope can continue to have great success.

Thank You,
The writers of this article it has made my day.

Elizabete Souza

There’s no Castle without Beckett. ABC made it easy for me to quit the show after S8 because I will watch until the end just to see what they’ll do. It saddens me to know she won’t be around anymore, but I will always have her badassery and amazing humanity imprinted in my memory and heart. Thanks for the outstanding article!

I was really surprised and saddened when I heard this. Stana was the reason why I started watching this show and why I continued watching it all these years. I can`t really believe the ABC would fire a leading female actress due to “budget cuts”, “Budget cuts”?! Really? All they`re gonna achieve with this shameful decision are low ratings and lots of angry fans. They might cancel the show right away. I don`t know how many people will watch it without Stana but I know I won`t.

Stana, you`re a wonderful person and you deserve better than this.

Thank you for your portrayal of Kate Beckett all these years, you brought cheer and light to my life. Thank you! 😀

Despite being angered at their shameful decision, I also wish to thank ABC for giving us 8 years of “Castle” and 8 great years of Stana`s performance. Thank you.

Jim45

Lovely.

Nara Ali

Thank you expresses the thoughts of so many people who love the movie “Castle”
every season you know that Stana game lured all the attention!
she became the darling of the show!
and now some not talented actors want to take all the attention is very sorry that destroyed a great show! A great regret, I do not want to have to even look 1-7s! It is not clear and offensively ABC channel solution! they work for the audience and showed him such disrespect

Tony Saenz

Without question ‘Kate’ is a principle in this story line and should remain, without her, you don’t have Castle! Eliminate two secondary characters, i.e. Lanie and Espo after their spontaneous elopement and decision to live in Borneo for Pete’s sake!!!!! I won’t watch after Kate is gone! …

Nara Ali

some naive thinking that the name of the “Castle” is the main character Nathan but the main idea of the show is a meeting Rick and Kate! storyline is built on relationships two people and their teams, and the whole story is about the killing the mother of Kate. If not for the emergence of Kate Rick story would be like 7 s 6 ep!

Emily

Utterly amazing and perfectly worded. *Sigh* I’m tired and sick of all this and I wish it was not real and Season 8 never happened. Stana does deserve a much better ending. I mean, she put so much effort into all of this. When times were down, she helped me. How can you just take away a character like that so easily; like the INFLUENTIAL character?! I just wish it was rubbish. Thank you for speaking our words for us. I sobbed again while reading this and listening to Taking Down Lee by Robert Duncan on Castle. On Monday, I learned of this ‘firing news” on Tumblr nonetheless and I was just like, Wait, what the heck is happening. It was the tweets from Jon Huertas and Seamus Dever about missing them and I was just WHOA wtf happened. I searched Castle up and my whole world came crashing down on me. I starting sobbing right there and then. Plus, I was playing piano and I started to mess up because I was ‘Heartbroken’ and my vision was blurred. Now, I wish that Castle would end. There is literally no point at all without the female lead in which the world revolves around. Honestly, I’m shocked and disappointed by ABC. Stana Katic really deserves this article and so much more…

Dr. Steve Jenkins

Thank you to these writers for articulating the insights and emotions surrounding the likely departure of Stana Katic, the strength of the character Beckett and the heart and soul of the series. My wife has been a Castle fan from day one, and I decided to join her toward the end of Season One to see if I too might connect with the show. OMG! It did not take long for me to appreciate the incredible acting strength of Stana – she molded the complex character that we all have come to admire. I understand why Beckett connects so well to the female audience of all ages, but for any of us of the male gender who care about empowering one another to improve the world, Stana serves as a role model. I have now watched her in several films, from Pit Fighter and on, and I continue to admire and appreciate Stana Katic’s talents. Nathan Fillion once said,
Stana can act chemistry with a wet paper bag! And we have seen her even give life to the Castle character. So no Beckett, no real Castle because their CASKETT chemistry is the “fix” fans need.

Celticlady

Beautifully spoke! You said what we all feel! Thank you for writing it and I hope Stana sees it. If I could I would give her the biggest hug right now. I am not gay, but I love her too.

Michelle

“Because of your hotness.” LOL! Can’t fault the man’s taste. She’s the most beautiful lady on TV. And I do mean LADY. A class act, our Stana.

Michelle

God, these articles are so On. Point. Stana Katic is a FIERCE actress. Her acting process in intense and purposeful and driven, and it was through that dedication and razor focus that she breathed life into one of the most influential and inspiring female characters ever to grace television. Castle itself wasn’t created to be a super deep show – it’s the lighthearted “A writer and his muse” premise that drew people in the first place – but the character of Beckett added unexpected gravity. She’s intelligent, beautiful, confident, feminine, in charge and FLAWED and we frikkin’ LOVE her for that, just like Castle does. Giving Stana and this extraordinary character she’s crafted the ax was an unconscionable move on ABC’s part. But thank you guys, for creating a tribute to her amid all the outrage and heartache. She gave a shout-out to this article on FB, so I guess she read it. I hope it made her smile.

Jim45

Great piece. Stana can be proud of many things from her work on Castle. Her Kate Beckett character has been wonderful to watch.

She has accomplished something in life that few of us ever do. She has been the best ever in a singular piece of her craft – romantic comedy. Never recognized as a true expression of the performing arts, but certainly commercially. When you compare the quality of work over the extended period time, she and Fillion have compiled a body of work that surpasses that of any other actors, with maybe the exception of Cary Grant. The last couple that I can think of that has done scenes that match up to the weekly work on Castle is Bogart and Hepburn in “The African Queen.”

The work performed by Stana and Nathan was incandescent. Like all things that burn that brightly they burn out quickly. We have been lucky to see their work unfold. Both actors can be justly proud of at one point in their lives to have been the best that’s ever been. Thanks for the DVDs.